EPS12V and PCI-E 16x Molex on my P35

[funke_munke]

Right, first things first:

Today I recieved my spanking new MSI Platinum P35 mobo from Scan. It's part of a new system that I've already put in 'My System' if you need to check that to aid my query!

I have come from a Abit KR7A-Raid, Athlon XP 2100+, Geforce 4 Ti4400 Setup... In other words SLOW and OLD.


My question is this: What are all these extra new-fangled power connectors for on the motherboard? The manual is pretty foggy as it's written in pretty poor English. There is one molex above the PCI-E 16x and one 8 pin EPS12V connector near the processor. Really, I kind of know what they do (supply power to the GFX card and CPU respectively), but do I actually need them plugged in or is it some sort of failsafe?


Sorry if this sounds daft, you spend so much time researching components for a new build after five bloody years only to be stumped at something dumb like power connectors! Plus it's suddenly ballsed up my cabling job in the P182... Dammit.

Any help is, as always, appreciated!

[Clunk]

EPS 12v is either an 8pin or a 4+4 pin connector that plugs into the motherboard from your PSU.



You need that for power to the CPU.

The other looks to be a standard molex socket, if this is your board.



I would plug it in just to be sure.

[WannaPiEcE]

but do I actually need them plugged in

If your motherboard has a big 8 pin connector instead of the usual 4 pin connector and your PSU only has one 4 pin connector, do not worry. Just plug in the 4 pin connector where it fits there. The extra four pins are for very demanding systems to ensure stability and are usually not needed.



And for the 4 pin molex on the board, yes plug a lead from the power supply to it.

[funke_munke]

Cheers guys! All plugged in and waiting for my other stuff to arrive in the post. Shame these have to be plugged in because they are the only things messing up a basically invisible cabling job. Ah well eh?